The use of catheters for establishing an intravenous connection into the body is well known in the art. The use of catheters to establish such intravenous connection into the body are taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,252 to Luther et al., the teachings of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. In this regard, such catheters provide the primary means by which fluids and drugs may be administered to a patient. Indeed, such catheters, via their intravenous connection, are of vital importance when it becomes necessary to rapidly infuse a given substance into the body, which frequently occurs during surgery and various types of intravenous therapy, such as chemotherapy.
Notwithstanding their immense practicality and widespread use, most catheters currently in use are typically not provided with means for selectively closing off and re-opening the intravenous passageway formed thereby. Specifically, while such catheters effectively allow for fluids, drugs, and the like to pass readily into the bloodstream when a conventional fluid line is connected thereto, once such fluid line is removed there is typically lacking a mechanism for preventing back-flow of blood through the catheter and out of the patient's body. As a result, a new catheter must be utilized to establish an intravenous connection each time it becomes necessary to administer fluids, drugs, etc. intravenously, which thus results in greater patient discomfort, as well as requires that a new catheter be utilized each time it is necessary to establish an intravenous connection into the body.
As such, there is a need in the art for a hemostasis valve that is specifically designed and adapted to be utilized in connection with an intravenously inserted catheter to provide means for forming a re-sealable closure therethrough. There is additionally a need in the art for a hemostasis valve designed to be utilized with an intravenously inserted catheter that is of simple construction, is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and may be readily and easily utilized with virtually all types of existing catheters. Still further, there is a need in the art for a manually-operable, general utility clamp that in addition to being utilized as a hemostasis valve may be utilized for a variety of routine applications.